American goalkeeping hero admits team 'fell short of our dream' following
last-16 defeat to Belgium in Salvador

Tim Howard admitted USA were close to realising their World Cup ‘dream’ before suffering second round elimination against Belgium in Salvador.

Despite Howard’s goalkeeping heroics, which saw him make sixteen saves during the 2-1 extra-time defeat, Jürgen Klinsmann’s team failed to progress to the quarter-finals.

The Americans’ run to the second round served to hand football a huge boost in the States, with huge crowds watching World Cup fixtures on big screens throughout the country.

But Howard admitted it was a case of so near yet so far against Marc Wilmots’ Belgians.

“We dreamed and we fell short of our dream,” Howard said. “But I think to be taken out of the ‘group of death’ [alongside Germany, Portugal and Ghana] and playing well, coming up against the Belgian team, it’s a tough assignment.